anyone else think the combat is a mess?

[Deniz]

shield guys electro shock guys gun guys big guys medic guys oh forgot ninja flying guys big guys with knifes.

[Roast Goose]

Gotta keep you on your toes somehow.

THough what does annoy me with specific enemies is that the animations gets very repetitive. This goes directly against the strength that RS displays in the animation department. The cape stuns could do with more variety, or maybe add the kicks that Red Hood uses instead.

[ShikenNuggets]

Everything you mentioned except the big guys with weapons and the medics were present in Arkham City.

I don't mind that there's lots of stuff going on, my only problem with it is that I feel like I have a lot less choice in how to approach a combat situation than I did in the previous games. It takes some of the fun of it away when you feel like there's only one correct way to do something.

[Frag Maniac]

Originally posted by ShikenNuggets:

...my only problem with it is that I feel like I have a lot less choice in how to approach a combat situation than I did in the previous games.

Can't say I agree with this. You now have FEAR Takedowns, which when full and max upgraded, can allow you to one hit up to 6 enemies rapidly. You now have tons of environmental objects to interact with to instantly take out foes. Plus there are many areas where enemies drop clubs, which when picked up can be very effective.

If that isn't enough, there are even ways to use and interact with the Batmobile to take out foes.

[ShikenNuggets]

Originally posted by Frag Maniac:

You now have FEAR Takedowns, which when full and max upgraded, can allow you to one hit up to 6 enemies rapidly.

You can't use them in every combat encounter, only at the beginning of certain ones. Also, when you can use them, there's basically no reason not to.

Originally posted by Frag Maniac:

You now have tons of environmental objects to interact with to instantly take out foes.

Useful, but situational, and I found them to be somewhat difficult to use effectively.

Originally posted by Frag Maniac:

Plus there are many areas where enemies drop clubs, which when picked up can be very effective.

I've never actually used this very much. Not sure why, I guess after the novelty of it wore off I just never payed attention to it. All it really does is boost your striking and counter damage temporarily, so it doesn't really add much variation.

Originally posted by Frag Maniac:

If that isn't enough, there are even ways to use and interact with the Batmobile to take out foes.

This is useful when possible, but most of the time it isn't an option.

Batman's got some new moves, which is nice, but what I mean is that when you're up against a bunch of medics that've electrified a bunch of the regular thugs and a couple of the big armoured guys with shields, you don't have a lot of options for how to deal with that.

[JonoAMano]

Make certain that you're adequately upgraded before entering a variable combat scenario. Quit the game to the menu periodically and do as many AR Challenge Maps as possible to rank up and outfit both yourself and the Batmobile, especially after a Riddler trial for extra XP. I usually save BatSuit armor for last to incentivize not taking damage during a fight.

Collect the Remote Electrical Charge (REC) gun during Ivy's GCPD dropoff from the evidence exhibit room, and collect the Freeze Blast grenade inside Panessa Studios immediately after escaping Ace Chemicals. Those devices will help you with the following:

Brutes (the big guys): freeze or REC shock these guys to buy time, then either Beatdown, 2 Combo Takedowns or Ultra-Batclaw Slam (upgrade required). Beatdowns on the Brutes award massive XP, and interim Brute Beatdowns are excellent leverage points to equip either Combo or Gadget Takedowns on smaller enemies. Can be delayed by freezing.
Brutes with blades: Blade Takedown, Beatdown, 2 Combo Takedowns or Ultra-Batclaw Slam. Can be delayed by freezing.
Brutes with shock gloves: shock with REC to temporarily disable shock gloves, then Beatdown, 2 Combo Takedowns or Ultra-Batclaw Slam. Can be delayed by freezing.
Brutes with shields: 1 Cape Stun then quickly Aerial Assault and Beatdown, or 2 Combo Takedowns. Can be delayed by freezing. NOTE: unless Brutes are capable of switching weapons later in game, Ultra-Batclaw Slams are ineffective against Shield Brutes.
Blade Ninjas: freeze or shock these guys to buy time, then either Beatdown, Blade Takedown, or midair Special Mult-Combo Ground Takedown after a Redirect Strike (reverse strike).
Electrified Militia or Thugs: drain electrical charge with either Batclaw Pull or Batclaw Slam, then Beatdown or Combo Takedown.
Guns: Disarm and Destroy and / or Combo Takedown. Can be sabotaged with Disruptor.
Medics: Beatdown or Combo Takedown, to prevent them from reviving and electrifying enemies. Medic packs can also be sabotaged pre-combat with the Disruptor upgrade.
Shield Thugs: Disarm and Destroy and / or Combo Takedown.
Stun Batons: Stun with REC, or Disarm and Destroy.

I think I covered most of these, which brings us to Minigunner Brutes. These overgunned big guys always pop up in predator scenarios, so technically you don't need to physically engage a single Minigunner unless you really want to, or if you get spotted. One pops up early inside Stagg Airship 2. See the following thread for procedure:
http://steamcommunity.com/app/208650/discussions/0/355043117518674983

Another group of 4 Minigunners appear on a Founders Island Watchtower toward the end of the game. You can defeat all 4 without physical engagement by luring with the Voice Synthesizer, exploding a generator, 2 explodable weak walls and Environment Takedown areas. I like completing that Watchtower both unshot and unseen.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=859578265

[Roast Goose]

Originally posted by ShikenNuggets:

Originally posted by Frag Maniac:

Plus there are many areas where enemies drop clubs, which when picked up can be very effective.

I've never actually used this very much. Not sure why, I guess after the novelty of it wore off I just never payed attention to it. All it really does is boost your striking and counter damage temporarily, so it doesn't really add much variation.

Baton attacks basically ignore defense, though it's curious that they make you "weaker" against stun baton enemies since if you perform a strike from behind they still treat it like a front strike that just makes them recoil. I think there should've been more emphasis on this, though, such as being able to counter any attack, even if it only pushes them back and doesn't floor them. That would've allowed more variety.

Gotta say though, performing a full baton beatdown on a brute is very satisfying.

[sidewinder_G]

When up against foes that require more than one takedown to be taken out, freeze them. It takes them out of the fight. Ninja should be beaten down or taken down instantly because they are the hardest to hit and the ones most probable to mess up your combo.

Also, Batclaw Takedown is your best friend. InstaKOes EVERYONE and ignores defense.

Originally posted by ShikenNuggets:

Batman's got some new moves, which is nice, but what I mean is that when you're up against a bunch of medics that've electrified a bunch of the regular thugs and a couple of the big armoured guys with shields, you don't have a lot of options for how to deal with that.

The Batclaw will auto-target ANY charged thugs once they are in your sights. Every time I have someone like that in my face, I either REC him or freeze him or gel him or cape stun him. Push comes to shove, use a simple takedown. But the best option for them is, IMO, claw them, stun them, juggle them. Sends them out of the fight and they might fall on some of their comrades in the process.

I try to make medics my priority whenever I see them in a fight. Them and Ninjas are priority targets once I thin the herd by freezing the brute.

[Deniz]

finished the game and i dont get the complaints about the batmobile. its decent not good.

the melee combat on the other hand is the worst in the series for me. there is simply too much ♥♥♥♥ going on. its difficult to get the fight flow. you either get screwed by someone out of the screen (happens in the previous games too but you have time to react to it by jumping over someone but in this one as i said too many enemy types you get screwed because you cant jump over them) or the counter prompt is so short that you dont have time to react to it. bat claw aiming at air instead of an enemy happened a few times. and also some parts of the game felt like i am playing one of the those challenges (predator, fight and so on). previous games never felt like this (maybe one or two parts). unecessary upgrades (who needs upgrades for throwing while flying?) they should have focused on ground combat upgrades. 2 or 3 batarangs to throw should be available from the start imo. also reverse batarang.
and also too many enemies with guns (at this point i would say screw batman bring in the freaking army) he is a vigilante not a ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ super soldier.

so yeah i would give this game maybe a 4/10.

[Roast Goose]

Originally posted by Dennis:

(happens in the previous games too but you have time to react to it by jumping over someone but in this one as i said too many enemy types you get screwed because you cant jump over them)

You can still perform an evade over any enemy type. Even if they're electrified; Batman's jump just won't push them a bit like it normally does.

or the counter prompt is so short that you dont have time to react to it.

To me the prompts seem longer than ever. The throw-counter ones are quite quick, but they're meant to be.

2 or 3 batarangs to throw should be available from the start imo.

Batman throws 3 batarangs by default in combat. It's like his fully leveled-up combo batarang from Arkham Asylum.

[Charlie]

I find BAK's a combat a love/hate relationship, while the new moves are cool and you certainly have more options available, I find some of the combat scenarios to be poorly designed and the combat itself does have a lot of weird inconsistencies

[sidewinder_G]

It just sounds like you need a bit of practice :)

[Charlie]

Originally posted by sidewinder_G:

It just sounds like you need a bit of practice :)

More practive is always good, and I'm far from perfect. But I'd say I'm well above average at this game.

[Deniz]

Originally posted by sidewinder_G:

It just sounds like you need a bit of practice :)

i played 31 hours so far. isnt that enough? ;D

[Buck]

Originally posted by GhostMotley:

Originally posted by sidewinder_G:

It just sounds like you need a bit of practice :)

More practive is always good, and I'm far from perfect. But I'd say I'm well above average at this game.

Let's just give them an example, shall we?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-sSHCyCwpw

[<< BATFINK >>]

Personally, I don't think the combat in AK is the best. I liked AC & AO better. This one seems to havve less options and it feels like you get stuck waiting for actions/animations to complete. For instance the charging goons are almost unavoidable (unless you see them start running), since Batman takes too long to move otherwise. Pesonally, I miss the E takedown. It took me a while to be able to make use of the environmental takedowns, but these are ok when understood.

Sure the fear takedowns are pretty good and the practice of bringing the goons 'back to life' adds to the difficulty. But I found you can do a silent takedown in a predator encounter, standing right next to another goon (actually facing you), who doesn't notice anything!

I also seem to experience a lot of times when planning a move, the wrong move all of a sudden will occur, meaning you have to restart, or hope to make do. For instance, trying to use the disruptor in a Penguin arms cache, I disable the first two, then turn around to get the last guy, when all of a sudden I find I'm into a drop down attack. Happened a few times in row before I managed to place myself in a more suitable location.

The F grapple is also extremely touchy, oftern moving just as you hit it, sending you way over to anohter building, or some other wrong point (annoying on those riddler trophy runs).